charlemagne palestine

Close/Far Recordings is positively elated to publish an unreleased version of Schlingen-Blängen, from Charlemagne Palestine’s personal archives, recorded in 1977. Palestine considers it to be the first official recorded version of Schlingen-Blängen that pre-dates the only other published version, recorded in 1988, by eleven years. Both pieces were performed on the same church pipe organ in Delfzijl, Holland by the North Sea. Because the master was recorded on cassette, informing the character and atmosphere of the piece, and since this new edition is once again on cassette, Charlemagne has named it SchlingenCassettenBlängen. This analog magnetic tape captured version from ’77 is exquisitely dark and humid in comparison to the wonderfully bright and crisp digitally recorded version from ’88. It will also be the first full-length solo Charlemagne Palestine work ever released on cassette.

SchlingenCassettenBlängen is colored by the nuances and flaws of being a decades-old cassette tape which Charlemagne feels embellishes the recording, making it a special new work. Or as he says “It’sssss Casssettennnn magiccccc!!!” The intermittent speed warping and out of tune tape sliding invites a rich dialogue with the mechanics of the cassette itself and fundamentally with time. Clocking in at 90 minutes long it stretches out in an ethereal fashion that is simultaneously ruminative and tempestuous documenting Charlemagne’s organ playing in a particularly elegiac, painterly, and ultimately sublime mode. Fortunately, this important but hidden early document is now preserved enabling us to experience a very special chapter in Palestine’s recorded oeuvre highlighted by a truly ecstatic final passage that stands amongst his most emotive, mystical, and powerful moments.

—N.N.N. Cook, 10/14

“It was originallly recordedd,,, in the northh of Holland in a little village called Delfzijl and was organised byy Leendert van Lagestein for his art centre Corps de Garde in Groningen in 1977!!”

—Charlemagne Palestine

Note: Charlemagne has stated “I’d like it to startttt and finishhh exactlyyyy as on the originallll, nO ChaNgEsssszzzz!!!! Nothingggg omittteddd…” Because of this there are a couple moments where the audio abruptly but very briefly cuts out. This is intentional and true to the content of the original cassette recording.